Mathematics with Theoretical Physics
University of Plymouth
UCAS Code: G1F3 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
112 to 128 UCAS points to include a minimum of 2 A levels including Grade B in Mathematics or Further Mathematics. Excluding General Studies.
Considered in combination alongside A Level Mathematics or Further Mathematics.
Considered in combination
Interview and diagnostic test required. Standard offer would then be to Pass Access to HE Diploma with at least 33 credits at Merit and/or Distinction and to include at least 12 credits in Mathematics units with Merit.
Considered in combination alongside A Level Mathematics or Further Mathematics.
Considered in combination
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
27 - 29 overall to include Grade 5 in Higher Level Mathematics. English Language accepted within.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
including Mathematics.
Considered in combination alongside A Level Mathematics or Further Mathematics.
Considered in combination alongside A Level Mathematics or Further Mathematics.
Considered in combination with A Level Mathematics or Further Mathematics.
Considered in combination with A Level Mathematics or Further Mathematics.
Considered in combination with A Level Mathematics or Further Mathematics.
Considered following Interview. Standard offer would be in the range of DMM to DDM and to include a Distinction in a Mathematics unit.
Considered in combination with A Level Mathematics or Further Mathematics.
Considered in combination alongside A Level Mathematics or Further Mathematics.
120 points including a Grade B in Advanced Highers Mathematics.
Considered in combination with Advanced Highers
UCAS Tariff
To include a minimum of 2 A levels, including grade B in Mathematics or Further Mathematics. Excluding General Studies.
Considered in combination alongside A Level Mathematics or Further Mathematics.
Considered in combination
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
Acquire a deep insight into modern theories of nature using powerful mathematical techniques. This degree will provide you with the necessary mathematical language to be able to describe, analyse and predict natural phenomena. Final year modules include classical and quantum mechanics, electrodynamics and relativity, fluid dynamics and partial differential equations. A particular highlight of the degree is the choice of project modules to explore aspects of modern physics in depth.
We have strong links with CERN and the European Light Infrastructure. We’re very proud of being top in the Guardian Mathematics University League Table for 2019 for satisfaction with the course. We are also fourth for satisfaction with mathematics teaching. This is part of a record of students regularly saying that they enjoy our degrees and teaching.
* Study the foundation of modern theoretical physics in modules such as classical and quantum mechanics and electrodynamics and relativity.
* Carry out a project in theoretical physics on topics such as quantum computers, black holes, teleportation and the quark model, supported by a leading academic.
* Be inspired by a large group of theoretical physicists who have strong research connections across the globe including with CERN and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. Two of our lecturers are Associate CERN staff members, another leads the Lattice QCD/BSM group at CERN, two are members of the UK’s Central Laser Facility user group and one is a theory consultant to the European Light Infrastructure project.
* Pure and applied mathematics, modules in probability and options in statistics: get to grips with the foundations of modern mathematics.
* Benefit from outstanding teaching: in the 2018 National Student Survey 99% of our final year students said that 'Staff are good at explaining things’.* This is part of a proud track record of success in the National Student Survey (NSS). We are top of the 2019 Guardian Mathematics League Table for satisfaction with the course.
* Leading research experts teach you: 68% of our research papers were classified as ‘World Leading’ or ‘Internationally Excellent’ in the latest UK government survey of research (REF 2014).
* Expand the ways you study with access to an extensive set of online support materials, including podcasts and eBooks.
* Become a confident, effective communicator, able to present your ideas visually, verbally and in writing. Small group tutorials help you acquire these skills. In the 2018 National Student Survey 99% of our final year students agreed that 'I have had the right opportunities to work with other students as part of my course’.
* We have an open door policy, a dedicated study space, the Maths Lab, clickers for immediate feedback in class, online podcasts – in short, we support you to reach your full potential.
* Learn high-level programming skills and master industry software including Matlab and R.
* Increase your employability with a strongly-recommended paid industry placement between the second and final years. Typically students are paid around £17,000 and recent employers include GlaxoSmithKline, the Department of Communities and Local Government, VirginCare, Visteon and Jagex.
* Progress, like our previous graduates, into careers in research, work in the Met Office, GCHQ, finance, industry and medicine or postgraduate degrees in applied mathematics and theoretical physics.
* Distinguish yourself professionally with a degree accredited by the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications and recognised for membership by the Institute of Physics.
Modules
In year one, build strong mathematical foundations to support future investigations in theoretical physics. Topics include probability and randomness, which are key ideas in quantum theories, and tools such as group theory, which are used to describe fundamental symmetries in nature. Calculus and analysis plus linear algebra, essential for studying higher dimensional theories are also introduced along with an introduction to programming.
In second year you will review the evidence for the existence of dark matter and describe Newtonian cosmology using vector calculus. Acquire the mathematical language of quantum mechanics by learning about real and complex analysis. A case studies module introduces the powerful Monte Carlo technique which lies at the heart of statistical mechanics and is used to extract precision results from the Standard Model of particle physics.
In your final year the focus is on modern physics and you have a choice of modules. Topics include classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, electrodynamics and special relativity. The mathematical language of the core partial differential equations module is essential. You can conduct a final year theoretical physics project with a supervisor from our theoretical physics research group. Projects have included general relativity and black holes, the gravitational super highway, quantum algorithms, quantum field theory and the quark model.
The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
University of Plymouth
School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Mathematics
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Physics
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Mathematics
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
Want to feel needed? This is one of the most flexible degrees of all and with so much of modern work being based on data, there are options everywhere for maths graduates. With all that training in handling figures, it's hardly surprising that a lot of maths graduates go into well-paid jobs in the IT or finance industries, and last year, a maths graduate in London could expect a very respectable average starting salary of £27k. And we're always short of teachers in maths, so that is an excellent option for anyone wanting to help the next generation. And if you want a research job, you'll want a doctorate — and a really good maths doctorate will get you all sorts of interest from academia and finance — and might secure some of the highest salaries going for new leavers from university.
Physical sciences
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
Although the subject has seen a bit of resurgence in recent years, the UK is still felt to be short of physics graduates, and in particular physicists training as teachers. If you want a career in physics research — in all sorts of areas, from atmospheric physics to lasers - you'll probably need to take a doctorate, and so have a think about where you would like to do that and how you might fund it (the government funds many physics doctorates, so you might not find it as hard as you think). With that in mind, it's not surprising that just over a fifth of physics graduates go on to take doctorates when they finish their degree, and well over a third of physicists take some kind of postgraduate study in total. Physics is highly regarded and surprisingly versatile, which is why physics graduates who decide not to stay in education are more likely to go into well-paid jobs in the finance industry than they are to go into science. The demand and versatility of physics degrees goes to explain why they're amongst the best-paid science graduates.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Mathematical sciences
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£20k
£27k
£30k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
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It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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